Seed-drill.



W. FETZER.

SEED DRILL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5|

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

W. FETZER.

SEED DRILL.

APPLICATION FILED MIGJ. 1913.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. KINETE WILLIAM FETZER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

SEED-DRILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed August 5, 1913. Serial No. 783,174.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Fn'rznn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed-Drills, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in drills designed more particularly for use as an alfalfa drill. At the present time, the more general practice of sowing alfalfa seed is that of broadcasting, the usual grain drills not being adapted for the purpose. In the-disk drill art it has heretofore been the custom and accepted practice to arrange the respective shoes and disks approximately six inches apart, while with what is known as the hoe drill, it is necessary to place the same approximately seven inches apart. In'view of this wide separation of the runners and rows of the usual drill, they have been found impracticable for use in connection with sowing alfalfa or hayseeds, inasmuch as practically one half of the ground would not'be occupied by the planted seeds. Allowing the bare earth to be unoccupied by the seeds between widely spaced rows, much evaporation is permitted during the dry seasons or hot winds, affects the infant, roots of the sprouting seeds. Again, with a wide separation of rows, the alfalfa or hay seed if planted by the usual drill, room is left for the propagation of weeds, which obviously is highly objectionable. In broadcasting, seeds are thrown indiscriminately and are overcrowded and thereby materially affecting the entire crop, while in drilling the rows are sep-' arated allowing ample room for proper and regular growth of the seeds.

My invention relates to a drill having the planting instrument'alities so arranged that the rows of seed may be deposited in the ground closely, approximating from two and one-half to three inches apart and permitting the employment in that particular of What is known as the disk drill which is desirable in what is now known as the alfalfa region. In disk drills the disks of the shoes, together with their draw bars represent a very materialv width, a substantially wide space between the disks for satisfactory operation being required, si.x inches which materially being the usual spacing, as stated. This being the condition, I have produced a drill wherein the required space between the disks may be utilized by like disks positioned in staggered relation or between and in rear of the same.

The invention therefore consists generally in a drill having means whereby two rows of disks may be employed in close relation and mechanism for feeding the seeds properly to the respective shoes. The invention comprehends also the employment of separate feed hoppers and means for simultaneously adjusting the disks or shoes into and out of he soil, as occasion may require and in addition thereto special devices and combinations presently to be described.

While the invention is designed more particularly for an alfalfa drill, it will be understood that it may be used for other purposes when desired. In the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of theimprovement, but desire it understood that various details and special arrangements can be altered and modified without departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

In the drawings: i v Iiigure 1 is alongitudinal side elevation; an

Fig. 2 is a plan partly in section parts being omitted, and indicating the relative position of the forward and rear drill section.

The frame of the machine is formed conveniently with side bars A mounted on the driving axle B, which in turn is carried by the wheel 0 in the usual manner. Projecting from the center of the forward part of the frame is a bracket member D, depending therefrom and carrying at its lower end a tongue truck d. This tongue truck is of a character conveniently shown in my U. S Letters Patents numbered respectively Reissue 12653 dated May 21, 1907, and Patent 843,672, dated Feb. 12, 1907, but differs therefrom in the particulars that the connection between the depending bracket D and the truck proper is formed in two parts, the lower part d being adjustable vertically by suitable bolts 03 onthe lower portion of the bracket. By this means the forward end of the frame of themachine may be lowered varying conditions. E forward and rear hop or raised to suit the and E represent the pers of any approved type and have any desired or approved form of seed cupstherein. These hoppers may as in many of the usual drills, be divided centrally, the rear portions comprising the fertilizer oompartments. The feed cups of the various hoppers are operated in any well known manner, conveniently those of the rear hopper being operated by the driving axle B supported by the carrying wheels, and the forward cups by a similar mechanism comprising countershaft or axle B, the two axles being connected by a suitable drivechain B The motion of the drive wheels'will be transmitted to both axles. Inasmuch as'the feed cup operating mechanism and the'hoppers specifically form no part of the present inventionit is thought unnecessary to further explain the details of construction thereof.

Extending downwardly from the forward part of the frame A are a series ofvertical bars a, carrying on their lower ends coupling bars at. These vertical bars are strengthene'd by diagonal members a extending up to and connected to the frame, the vertical bars a extending downward to a point substantially in line with the tongue truck wheels and having coupled thereto a series of drag bars Ain which are j ournaled the disks a of the forward line of disks. By suitable castings a connected with the drag bars A, the drill shoes 6& are properly positioned andheld. The specific construction of the drill disk and shoes, together with the lifting and pressing bars a thereof are'of the usual and well known-type, the bars a extending upward and having the usual pressing down springs K thereon, the upper end being connected to lifting or depressing arms a mounted on a cross shaft a journaled in the frame. The usual conducting tubes K lead from the hoppers into the shoes in the usual or approved manner.

The drag bars comprise conveniently two bar members having their forward ends spread apart so that the disk will be properly. held against tilting and are pivotally connected intheusualfmanner to the bar 04. Thesefdragbars are as closely] associated as they can conveniently be, but owing to the necessity of providing ample space between the disks and; the non-tilting connection for the forward ends of the drag. bars, thereis a considerable space, approximately six inches between. the shoes ofthe respective disks, as

isusual. v I

Depending from the frame in the rear of the verticalbarsa: 1s a snnllar series of vertical barsli carrying .on the lower ends the coupling bar F and each. is. braced by vdiagonalbracesf. The length of the bars F is less thanthellength of the. bars a, the: same terminating downwardly at a point; above 1-; the plane of the. couplingor dragbars of the forward disks.

Coupled to the rear coupling bar area series of relatively long drag bars F which carry I on their rearends disks and shoes similar to those of the forward row. The lifting and depressing bar f of the rear disks extend up and are coupled to the arms 7 ona counter-shaft F mountedwi-n the rear end of the frame. The position of the drag bars F and'their' disks'with relation to the position of the forward disks is intermediate or between the plane of the forward disks so that they present a staggered relation therewith; The disks of" the" rear set operate by virtue of this staggered arrangement v in the space between the rows planted ay the forward disks. By this arrange ment it will be readily seen thatthe planting is contracted so that'th'e space between the rows will represent practically one-half of the space between the rows planted by the respectivesets of disks. v

To elevate anddepress the rows -ofdisks'I conveniently"form or secure on the rear ends of the name; A racks G, and keyed'to the shaft li g hand levers Gr of anyr'approved construction; These lever's' are provided withlatches so that as the levers" are drawn backward or'forced forward theshaftF will be rotated and heldin position. @n the outer ends of the" shaft If there are secured fixed, lever arms H extending conveniently upward, whileon the outer. ends ofthe a? are secureidsimilar armsH; These-two arms H and" H are couple'dtogether links H sothat upon the move'ment"ofjthe rear shaft F both sets'of disksjand. shoes will be depressed and elevated as the case may be. this arrangementaperfectl unifofrmity of positioning the disks'is acquired, and; so from the rear of the nachinej If desired the machine may beequipped with a series ofpresserrollsi I which are coupled with the machine in the manner shown" and described in my. U. S". Letters Patent No. 951,759, dated Mob. 8, 1910.

It is desirable in thisc'la'ss OfLma'chin'es' to have the same as compact as possible so that the machinecanbe more readily turned when required, and" with that in view the rows of'di'sksare broughtclose together, the space above" the; forward row of disks being occupied by the'e'nds of the'relatively long drag bars; ofthjefreai row of disks, and

so 1 without interfering with the operative 'me'ch anism associated with. the forward ro'w vantage and makingthe machine more aid=" the e d and-thefertilizer .to a better ea c justable and likewise more useful in many ways. The use of the tongue truck in the machine is advantageous in that it properly supports the forward end of the machine and also serves the purposes for which such a structure is primarily designed.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is 1. A grain drill having forward and rear sets of furrow openers secured against side or horizontal movements and allowing for vertical swinging movement of the same, the rear set of furrow openers operating vertically from a center of radius of different height than the height of the center of radius of vertical movement of the .-forward set of furrow openers, and the radius of vertical movement of both the forward and rear sets of furrow openers being centered a substantial distance below the frame, and'a tongue Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the truck positioned forward of the front set of furrow openers.

2. In a grain drill, the combination with a frame, a front hopper, a rear hopper, a supporting axle positioned under the rear hopper and carrying wheels on the said axle, a front row of furrow openers, a rear row of furrow openers, both of said rows of furrow openers being connected to the frame in advance of the supporting axle, and a tongue truck positioned forward of the forward set of furrow openers and supporting the forward end of the frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM FETZER.

\Vitnesses G. A. BROWN, RUSSELL HAYNES.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

